1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for the closure of wounds by vacuum and/or for the drawing off by suction of secretions or the like, which is in particular suitable for use in fields of surgery in hospitals and in the medical services.
Devices for drawing off by suction of secretion, blood or the like and devices used for the closure of wounds after redon drainage are in use in many fields of medical treatment and health care. All systems to date are based upon the principle that an under-pressure is generated in a container, mostly a glass or plastics bottle, preferably transparent, by means of a vacuum. After Redon drainage an under-pressure is generated by means of a drain placed in the area of the wound in the zone of operation, which presses the wound surfaces against one another whereby hollow spaces--e.g. in the case of surgical removals--are avoided. Associated therewith at the same time is the transporting away (drawing off) of secretion. Upon drawing off by suction, secretion, e.g. from a freshly operated wound, is drawn off through a drain in the zone of operation into the container by means of the under-pressure. Continuous drawing off accelerates the healing process. With the use of suction draw off devices in the course of an operation, blood is drawn off into the container which blood is intended to be used after subsequent preparation for the purpose of self transfusion. Thus, the patient's own blood can be returned to the patient during or after an operation, which removes the danger of the transfer of an infectious agent, such as for example hepatitis viruses, HIV etc. Thereby, the disadvantage is that the tubes and the entire container for receiving the drawn off secretion or blood must be cleaned and newly sterilized after each use or must be completely disposed off as a disposable product.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In order to avoid this great outlay, there is proposed in DE-OS-25 36 746 the employment of disposable bags, e.g. of plastics, which are placed in the container. After placement of the bag in the container, the container is closed by means of a lid. A tube, usually connected in one piece with the bag, leads through a passage in the lid to the drain, i.e. to the zone of operation. A further opening in the base of the container is constantly connected with a vacuum pump. This vacuum pump generates in the container, through the continuous pumping off of air, a permanent under-pressure. In case of failure of the vacuum pump provision is made for switch over to or automatic response of a central suction facility of the hospital. This under-pressure has the effect that the bag in the container inflates to a certain extent. This inflation of the bag has, due to the increase in volume of the bag, in turn the consequence that an under-pressure is provided in the interior of the bag, so that the secretion is drawn off into the bag through the tube. When the bag is full the used tube and the full bag are simply removed and disposed of, and a new, sterile bag, and a new, sterile tube placed in the container. By these means first, even during storage, much space is saved since the bags take up less space than the rigid and non-collapsible containers. Secondly, the necessity to constantly clean and sterilize the containers is avoided.
The disadvantage with this prior art is that the vacuum pump generating the under-pressure in the container must be in constant operation, since otherwise the under-pressure in the container and thus the suction effect in the bag cannot be maintain. The need to connect this suction draw off device constantly to a continuously operated vacuum pump has many disadvantages. Thus, for example, for each suction draw off device there is needed a vacuum pump or a connection to a central suction facility. As an alternative thereto, there have already been proposed rigid containers, pre-evacuated by the manufacture, of glass or plastics, to be used as disposable containers, in particular for redon drainage applications. Here, storage, and also disposal, are extremely problematic and costly. Conventional devices for the closure of wounds by vacuum and/or for the drawing off of secretion are thus not usable, or of only very limited use, for ambulant treatment applications.
There is thus an acute need for a universally employable, easily manipulable device for the generation of an under-pressure in the region of a wound, suitable for ambulant treatment use, i.e. usable in any location.